


House of Horrors

by LRThunder



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Doctor Who References, Gen, Haunted House
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-19 22:41:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14247264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LRThunder/pseuds/LRThunder
Summary: Despite being warned not to go, Scorpius persuades Albus and Rose to investigate a mysterious house with him.  Soon, he realizes he had listened to his father and grandfather.





	House of Horrors

**Author's Note:**

> Rated Mature for one bloody scene, and other disturbing imagery. Also, contains a reference to Doctor Who, but in the context of it being a fictional show.
> 
> Also, this was my own prompt.

No one knew how long the house had been there. Some say it was built during the time of King Richard, while others say that Henry VIII himself ordered its construction. All they knew was that there was something odd about that house. Every time someone would move in, members of that family would go mad, then eventually disappear or die. Eventually, people began avoiding the house, and attempts were made to destroy it.

But if the house wouldn't let anyone live in it peacefully, neither would it let anyone harm it. Everytime someone tried, they would also go mad. The house would assail them with vicious imagery, taunting them with their worst nightmares.

But there was one person who saw its potential. He didn't plan to live in it, but he recognized that it required victims. So, Voldemort would send some of his prisoners to the house for it to feed on. While the Death Eaters kept a safe distance from it, they would force their captives into the house. Some, like Malfoy and Yaxley, would watch and listen with apprehension, while others like Bellatrix cackled madly, revelling in the despair of the house's victims.

Then Voldemort was defeated, and it no longer had any victims. As the years passed, the house passed away from the memories of all who lived nearby. But it wasn't dead. In fact, it was hungrier than ever.

******

"Grandfather, who does that house belong to?" Scorpius asked Lucius one day at breakfast.

His grandfather looked at him warily. "What house?"

"The one on the outskirts of London. It looks abandoned, but nobody seems to know who it belongs to."

"You stay away from that house, do you understand me?"

"But…"

"Scorpius Malfoy, listen to your grandfather," Draco said sternly. Lucius had warned him about that house. Thankfully, the Dark Lord had never ordered Draco to go there, but he knew the stories. "We don't want you anywhere near there."

Scorpius looked at his mother, hoping she would intercede. Her mouth was a thin line, and he knew it was hopeless. She wouldn't go against both his father and grandfather. "Okay, I won't go anywhere near there," he lied. His best friend's brother had taught him an important lesson: if adults warned you against going somewhere, then it must be exciting, or they didn't think you were ready for it.

He felt his family's eyes on him, as though they suspected he was lying. He forced himself to eat his breakfast. As soon as he was finished, he would visit Albus, asking him to meet him at that house. Since they were both seventeen, they could Apparate and use magic outside of school. He suspected his best friend would be as interested in the house as he was.

"Scorpius, give me your wand," Draco said firmly.

He looked at his father in shock. "What?"

"You heard me. Give me your wand now. I know what you're thinking."

Scorpius gave him the traditional Malfoy sneer. He knew he was getting even further into trouble, but he wasn't going to be bullied by anyone, especially his father. "I'm an adult wizard, and I don't have to give you my wand."

"You will if you don't want me to write McGonagall to have her revoke your Head Boy badge. If you continue to refuse, you'll have to leave. You are an adult wizard, as you said."

Scorpius gaped, staring at his mother and grandfather. She was surprised, and even his grandfather looked shocked. "Draco, perhaps…"

"No, Father. Would you have tolerated defiance from me? No, you wouldn't. At least, Scorpius doesn't have to worry about Aunt Bellatrix to discipline him like she did me," Draco snapped. "Scorpius, give me your wand, or pack your trunk."

Scorpius stood. "I see I don't have a choice." Draco smiled, but it was wiped off his face by his son's next words. "I guess I'll have to leave." He stormed out of the dining room, feeling almost satisfied by his family's reaction.

******

Scorpius was lucky when he arrived at Grimmauld Place. Albus was the only one there; the other Potters were doing errands. When Albus saw Scorpius pulling his trunk into the house, he resisted the urge to ask. "Another argument with your parents, I take it."

"Mostly with my father and grandfather. I never knew how mental they could be."

"My parents, aunts and uncles could have told you," Albus said dryly. "Well, come on. You know where my room is."

Once Scorpius was settled in, Albus closed the door and sat on the other bed. "Now tell me what's so important that you were willing to run away from home."

"There's this old house we should see. Father and Grandfather have forbidden me from going there. I lied, promising that I wouldn't, but Father is smarter than he looks at times. He tried taking my wand, and that's why I'm here."

Albus had a cautious look on his face. "Scorpius, if they said you should stay away, then perhaps you should listen to them. You know what acts they committed in You Know Who's service, and if they're wary…"

Scorpius waved his best friend's concerns away. "They're overprotective. You know how Mother almost passed away from dragon pox. Since this, Father has smothered me, not letting me be my own man. I need the freedom to make mistakes, if this is one."

"We'll finish our last year at Hogwarts this year, so it's safe to say that we'll have plenty of opportunities to make mistakes in the real world," Albus pointed out.

"Still, I relish a little excitement before facing the drudgery of N.E.W.T.s. Come on, Potter, don't you feel that same craving in your family blood? Adventure, recklessness, aren't those what Potters are known for?" Scorpius smirked.

His best friend glared at him. "Okay, but we're not going alone."

Scorpius groaned. "Don't tell me you're going to get Lupin to come along. He'll just tell your father, who will tell my father, who will then get the entire Auror division to chuck us into Azkaban."

"You're exaggerating, and no, I wasn't thinking of Teddy. I thought maybe Rose could help."

Scorpius felt his cheeks redden. "I don't know…"

"I know James thinks she's exactly like Aunt Hermione, but she's not. You wouldn't know how reckless she can be, and thankfully, the rest of the family doesn't."

"It's not that. It's…"

Albus's eyes widened with realization. "You still fancy her? I thought…"

"You thought I gave up? I may have stopped trying to ask her out, but that doesn't stop how I feel about her," Scorpius said, blushing furiously.

Albus ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Merlin, this is going to be awkward. She hasn't come out and said it, but I reckon she's disappointed that you haven't continued pursuing her."

"Really?"

"Like I said, I don't know for certain. Will you still be okay with her tagging along?"

Albus was right that this would be awkward, but she was probably the only one who had the ability to think quickly on her feet, and that could prove useful. "Fine. I'll deal with it."

******

Once Rose arrived, they decided to leave as soon as possible in case Scorpius's parents talked to their parents. On the one hand, only Scorpius's mother was friendly with them. However, Scorpius knew his father and grandfather would swallow their pride to protect him.

They arrived at the house, and he knew why people had a difficult time determining its age. On the north side, where the front door was, the style looked Victorian, but on the south side, it had a more Tudor-looking style. It was as though the architects couldn't decide what they wanted it to look like.

Scorpius was surprised that Rose had agreed to come along. When they had first met on the Hogwarts Express, he thought she would be more like her mother. He had heard the stories how Mrs. Granger-Weasley would be so uptight about the rules. He supposed Rose would be exactly like that. To his surprise, she had helped play a prank on Peeves, much to the poltergeist's dismay.

"Rose, Scorpius, we still have time to turn back…"

"Where's that Gryffindor spirit?" Scorpius smirked.

Albus glared at him. "In case you've forgotten, I'm a Slytherin like yourself."

"That's right, I forgot I'm not with James Sirius Potter himself…"

"Enough, you two," Rose said sternly as she drew her wand. 

That got them to shut up as they walked towards the front door. Maybe the house was expecting them, because the door opened automatically. Scorpius saw his best friend gulp, but didn't try to stop. The doorway wasn't big enough for them to walk through side-by-side, so he took the lead, with Albus and Rose following.

The floorboards creaked under the weight of their footsteps. He was surprised by how cold it was in the house. Outside, the temperature was heralding the arrival of summer, but the air inside the house was frigid. "What a creepy house so far. What say we split up and search the house? We'll cover more ground that way."

"Scorpius, I don't…" Albus began, but Scorpius was already walking away. He made his way up the staircase. The creaking was louder than ever, and he wondered if the staircase was sturdy enough to support his weight. A couple of times, the steps threatened to collapse, but they held firm. He finally arrived at the top of the staircase and saw a long hall.

He decided to start with the first door on his left. He opened it, only to be disappointed. It was empty, with no windows. The temperature was hot, hotter than outside or in any other part of the house. He turned to leave when he heard a voice.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius froze in his tracks and slowly turned. Standing in the middle of the room was Rose. But that was impossible because she was still downstairs. How had she gotten there first? "Rose?"

She smiled and beckoned him closer with a finger. Keeping a wary eye on the Rose figure, he walked towards her. "Did you really think you had a chance with me?"

He stopped. "What are you talking about?"

Her smile turned cold as her voice became harsh. "What would the daughter of war heroes want with a stupid, mentally weak son of a Death Eater? Why would my parents approve of someone who despises Muggles?"

Scorpius couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Rose, but…"

Rose laughed and shrieked, "Get out!"

When he didn't move, her eyes turned black and he was hurled out of the room with a great force, almost sending him over the railing. He barely managed to avoid falling onto the stairs below him. When he looked back at the room, Rose had disappeared.

******

When Scorpius went upstairs, Albus and Rose had split, each taking a different wing of the house. Albus walked into the drawing room and almost sneezed. Dust flooded the room, and it was clear that the previous owners hadn't done anything to protect their furniture. He wrinkled his nose with disgust as he saw that something had started eating away at the sofa.

_Drip!_

He stopped, straining to hear that noise. He remained still for around a minute, but the sound didn't repeat itself. He shrugged, and continued looking around the room.

_Drip!_

Albus spun around, but still couldn't see or hear the source of the noise. As he retraced his steps, his foot slipped and he had to struggle to maintain his footing. He looked down and saw that the floor was now stained with blood. He tried shouting, but his voice didn't cooperate. How did that blood get there? He had just walked through it, and the carpet was clean, well, as clean as possible. He knew for a fact there hadn't been any blood there before.

He watched with horror as the bloodstain began to spread. It began to move towards him, not bothering to attack the rest of the drawing room. He tried to run, but it sped up, as though it was following him. He tried hiding behind the decaying couch, but the blood crept up the arms of the couch so that the faded green turned crimson red.

He screamed, his voice finally escaping his mouth. He tried running, but there was now so much blood on the floor that he had difficulty remaining on his feet. He slipped and fell down, and the blood was now upon him. It attacked his shirt, his pants, and soon his face. Soon, the blood would drown out his voice, leaving the others deaf to his pleas for help.

******

Rose had to watch her step as she entered the dining room. Apparently, something had gnawed away at the table legs, and the dining room table was now at an angle. If anyone tried putting anything on it, it would just slide to the floor. The chairs, however, looked in decent condition.

As she continued her examination of the dining room, she passed a portrait. She stopped and looked at it. An elegant young woman was the subject. She wore a fancy dress, with her hair in a bun. A smile graced her face, but her eyes appeared cold. Worse, they seemed to follow Rose's every movement.

Rose was used to magical portraits. It was hard to be unfamiliar with them at Hogwarts, yet something told her this wasn't one of them. Yet, the woman in the painting appeared alive, or did she? As Rose continued staring at her, the woman's skin color started to fade as her face started to resemble more of a skull. Yet, the woman's eyes continued to blaze with coldness, as though they were determined to cling to life for as long as possible.

Rose watched in horror as the skin fell away from the woman, leaving nothing but a skeleton in a dress. Even then, the bones continued to disintegrate, leaving a pile of ashes covering the dress. Yet, the eyes remained, with a reddish hue to them. Rose backed away, but the eyes continued following her.

******

Scorpius ran downstairs as he heard Albus screaming for help. He entered the drawing room and saw his friend thrashing about on the floor, as though something was attacking him. He heard his friend's voice become muffled, as though something was gagging him. Yet, Scorpius couldn't see anything.

Knowing that time was essential, he hurried over to Albus and pulled him to his feet. He was almost knocked to the floor as Albus's hands and arms kept flailing. "Scorpius...wait, how did you get here?"

"I heard you calling for help, so I got here as quickly as I could."

"Thanks." Albus frowned as he examined his clothes. "Where's the blood?"

Scorpius frowned. "What blood?"

"I was covered in it, and it was dripping from the ceiling."

They both looked up, but couldn't see any bloodstains on the ceiling. "How odd."

Albus shuddered. "Odd isn't the word I would use to describe it."

Scorpius was about to respond when Rose hurried into the room. "I heard you screaming for help, Al. Are you okay?"

"He's fine," Scorpius replied, looking over at her. Unlike her mysterious twin, she looked a lot friendlier, although her skin appeared paler. "What happened to you?"

"I saw a portrait that...well, let me show you."

Rose seized Scorpius's hand and practically dragged him to the dining room. They stopped in front of the portrait to see the elegant woman smiling at them. "She wasn't like this. Her skin had started to fade away…"

"I believe you," Albus said quickly. "Scorpius, what did you see?"

Scorpius hesitated, but since the others had been honest with him, he decided to tell the truth. "I saw Rose upstairs. She, or should I say, her twin insulted me, calling me worthless," he said, lowering his head so he wouldn't meet her eyes.

Albus stared at him, while Rose widened her eyes, a horrified expression on her face. "That's your fear?"

"What?"

She gulped, trying to steady herself. "Whatever this place is, it seems to attack us using our worst fears."

"So, like a house-shaped boggart?" Scorpius asked.

"Exactly."

Albus winced. "I hate to say this, but what I experienced wasn't my worst fear. It was horrible. Rose, if you're right, the house isn't finished with us."

Scorpius nodded, his face set with determination. "We need to get out of here now." Now, he knew why his father and grandfather had forbidden him from coming here.

They hurried to the front door, but it was locked. No matter how hard they tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge. They went to each room, trying to open the windows, but they remained shut. No matter what spells they used, the house was determined to trap them.

"Okay, Albus, now would be the time to tell us your worst fear," Scorpius said as the house darkened.

"Rose, do you remember that television show Aunt Hermione used to watch?" Albus asked his cousin.

She frowned as though deep in thought. "She watched a lot of shows. She's Muggle-born, remember?"

"Do you remember the one where I screamed in terror that one time we watched one of those episodes?"

Rose continued to frown, then her eyes widened as she remembered what he was talking about. "You're right. We need to leave now!"

Again, they tried the door, knowing it was useless. The door remained locked. Finally, the last of the lights went out, plunging them into total darkness.

With a trio of whispers, their wands lit up, and Albus immediately screamed. Standing only a few feet away were a trio of stone statues. Their hands were outstretched and their faces were vampiric, stuck permanently in monstrous snarls.

"Scorpius, don't blink. Whatever you do, don't blink," Albus said, his voice shaking with fear.

Scorpius had to admit the statues looked scary. "But they're only statues."

"When we're looking at them," Rose said, keeping her voice firm. Unlike Albus, she didn't seem as afraid of them.

"And when we're not looking at them?"

"They attack. We need to keep our wands lit and back away as far from them as we can," Albus said.

They walked backwards, keeping their eyes on the angels. Finally, their backs hit the wall, and they couldn't move any further. Remembering Albus's warning, they kept staring at the statues, resisting the natural urge to blink. Finally, the instinct overwhelmed them, and they blinked. Almost immediately, the statues were right in front of them. At least that's what Scorpius expected, only to realize only one had moved and was now inches away from his best friend.

Scorpius tried to think what to do, considering moving in between Albus and the statue, but there wasn't any room. Rose tried to pull her cousin away, but Albus must have blinked again, and soon both wizard and statue were gone. Rose screamed. "Albus! Where are you?"

Almost too late, Scorpius turned his attention back to the other statues, but they had disappeared as well. Rose was now on her knees, sobbing into her hands. "He's gone! Albus is gone!"

"I know, but we have to get out of here," Scorpius said, trying to pull her to her feet.

She managed to stand, but tears streamed down her face. Suddenly, something came out of the darkness, pinning her to the wall. It was a man dressed practically in rags. He had a scarf around his neck, as he pulled a knife from his cloak. He leaned forward, as if to smell her scent. "You must be her daughter. You're beautiful, too. I think I'll make you my favorite."

Scorpius realized what the man was going to do, but it was too late. The stranger lunged, plunging the knife into Rose's stomach. She screamed as she fell to the ground.

He didn't realize he was yelling until he was on the floor, pounding his fists into it, screaming Albus and Rose's names, begging them to return. He didn't want to be alone, because that was his worst fear.

******

Harry felt the glare emanating from the Malfoys, but his concern was for his son and niece. They remained by Scorpius's side, trying to get him to realize they were there. Finally, when their friend refused to acknowledge their presence, they returned to their parents. "Tell me again what happened, Al," Harry said calmly, but firmly.

In a low voice, his son told him how Scorpius had managed to convince them to visit the house, and how they were confronted by their worst fears. "And these Weeping Angels?" Harry prompted.

Albus shrugged. "That must have been part of his fear, that he would die alone. He must have thought I feared them, and that Rose was afraid of that Scabior bloke."

Harry nodded. He had tried to shield his children, nephew and nieces from the horrors of the war, especially the trio's capture, imprisonment and Hermione's torture, but he had failed. "Fear is a very powerful thing."

"I had told Scorpius not to go there," Lucius snarled.

"Mr. Malfoy, now is not the time. Your grandson needs to heal," the Healer said firmly as she ushered the visitors out of the ward.

******

Scorpius was alone. He heard a door slam in the darkness as he felt his life fading from him. He was alone, and he was going to die alone.

The End


End file.
